Hulu is getting a massive rebrand in 2026.
According to Variety, during Disney’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, the company announced it is “fully integrating” the streaming service into Disney+ with a new “unified” app releasing next year. Disney CEO Bob Iger explained that both Hulu and Disney+ would exist “on one tech platform,” and the merger will offer an “improved consumer experience.”
“Today we are announcing a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering by fully integrating Hulu into Disney+,” Variety reported that Iger and Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said in prepared commentary. “This will create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news and industry-leading live sports content in a single app.”
Here’s what to know about the merger and how it will affect your Hulu and Disney+ accounts.
Users can still buy individual Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions
Though Hulu and Disney+ will live on one platform, customers will still be able to purchase individual subscriptions to each. The new app will offer Disney more opportunities for bundling ad sales and users’ custom viewing experiences.
“By creating a truly differentiated streaming offering, we will be providing subscribers tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization. This will enhance our ability to continue to grow profitability and margins in our entertainment streaming business through expected higher engagement, lower churn, and advertising revenue potential, as well as operational efficiencies that over time may result in savings that we can reinvest back into the business,” the Disney executives mentioned.
In addition to merging with Disney+, Hulu will replace the Star tile on Disney+ internationally.
“Work is already underway to continue enhancing our technology, and over the coming months, we will be implementing numerous improvements within the Disney+ app, including exciting new features and a more personalized homepage,” Iger and Johnston also noted.
Hulu’s live TV arm will migrate to Fubo as part of Disney’s deal with the pay-TV streaming provider, Variety reported.
According to Adweek, Disney began incorporating Hulu programming into Disney+ in 2024.
Disney to no longer report streaming subscriber numbers for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+
The Hulu and Disney+ merger isn’t the only significant change at Disney. Adweek reported that Disney is also changing how it shares subscriber number reports and will no longer report data for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN’s streaming platform ESPN+. In their executive commentary, Iger and Johnston explained that “quarterly updates on the number of paid subscribers and [average revenue per user] have become less meaningful to evaluating the performance of our businesses.”
Disney executives added that in the future, they’ll provide information on entertainment direct-to-consumer profitability.
ESPN streaming service gets Aug. 21 launch date
Disney also announced an Aug. 21 release date for the ESPN streaming service, which costs $29.99 per month for the first year, and will soon become the exclusive streaming platform for WWE events.
“I think you end up with a proposition from, not only a consumer perspective but also from our perspective, that’s far better than what we’ve had before,” Iger said.
According to The Wrap, the service will include “the sports network’s programming with fantasy sports integrations, enhanced statistics, betting features and e-commerce.”
